Bob Woodward on Morning Joe: "Battle Royale" going on in Justice Department...

[kentuck]

...over whether or not to indict Donald Trump.

Surprisingly, the cast did not pursue it to any extent.

However, many have suspected for many years that the employees in the Justice Department lean Republican in their political affiliation.

Could this explain why Garland has not acted on the evidence that has come forward? If the FBI and the DOJ are divided over what should be done about Trump, it could be very corrosive for the work environment, one might think?

Regardless, it was an interesting comment by Woodward. I wonder if we will hear more about it?

[Atticus]

1. Garland's response to any "lean Republican" DOJ employees who oppose indicting Trump

should be "There's the door."

[2naSalit]

2. +1

[kentuck]

3. "should be"

There is no escaping that it is going to be a political decision. It is all "political".

[867-5309.]

6. Only if he treats it as political

How about just following the law and letting the politics play out as it will?

[kentuck]

7. An "attempted coup" by definition is "political".

How can it be otherwise?

[Solomon]

9. To NOT prosecute would be "political".

[kentuck]

11. Absolutely!

There is no way to get politics out of it.

[azureblue]

63. Trump tried to overthrow the goverment

That is the stark reality, and you can call it political is you want, but OTOH, you can also call robbing a bank, stealing a car, political, too. We have to quit playing footsie with words. Trump brazenly tried a coup. He is a traitor. That is a crime, period. He should be in jail NOW, and held there until a trial is set. While he is out, he is doing his best to get ahead of the game, and get into power before the charges are brought. IOW he is trying AGAIN, to create a coup.

[Captain Zero]

27. TFG made the "peaceful transfer" political

And someone is obstructing justice by deleting government communications.

[nuxvomica]

29. Not true

That would be like saying an assassination is political. The attempted coup was criminal, an existential threat to our form of government, not a disagreement on policy.

[kentuck]

32. Disagree.

Just for the hell of it.

[LonePirate]

4. I suspect there is a large number of full-on cultists there and not just leaners.

Leaners would usually side with the law when there is this much evidence. The cultists are actively working to derail any investigations and to hide any evidence. The Secret Service is not the only government agency that needs a thorough housecleaning.

[kentuck]

8. I suspect you are correct.

They have corrupted the entire US Government.

[Kali]

59. chicken and egg - I suspect a whole lot of corrupt republicaness came first

and is partly how the oranus even got in.

[bamagal62]

13. This is so true.

But, who can take the reins and clean house? Unfortunately, it’s easier to put them there than to get rid of them. The rot is deep and wide. It is quite worrisome.

[Farmer-Rick]

37. Trump provided an easy way to get rid of federal workers.

"The Trump administration has issued an executive order that would fundamentally restructure the federal workforce, making it easier for the government to fire thousands of federal workers, while also allowing political and other considerations to affect hiring."

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/31/929597578/a-huge-attack-critics-decry-trump-order-that-makes-firing-federal-workers-easier

[uponit7771]

23. +1,

[Fla Dem]

56. But at what level of decision making and execution do they hold?

Top Agency Executives

Merrick Garland, Attorney General ...... Appointed by Joe Biden
Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General .....Appointed by Joe Biden
Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General....Appointed by Joe Biden
Elizabeth Prelogar, Solicitor General...... Appointed by Joe Biden

The 4 top executives were all appointed by Joe Biden.
I sincerely hope these 4 are all working with individuals they've vetted and trust.


There probably are a number of lower ranking executives, managers, investigator and lawyers that may be Trump acolytes. I would like to think they are not included in the day to day decision making and managing of any investigations involving the Trump administration.

[Bluethroughu]

5. I was thinking the same thing.

If working in the DOJ conflicts with your cult beliefs, then find another job.

[Tommymac]

10. Agreed, but after all, Garland was a Republican at one time.

Last edited Fri Jul 15, 2022, 12:39 PM - Edit history (1)

**ON EDIT - See post #80 below - Garland is not a republican, but a very conservative Democrat who is acceptable to the old school republican conservative.**


Still hoping it will all result in a prosecution of TFG.

Not much else to do except wait to see if Our System truly has held.

[Farmer-Rick]

43. Do you have a source for this?

I searched and could find nothing on Garland having been a Republicon.

Now there were some death penalty cases and opinions that GOPers just loved, loved, loved. And GOPers like to praise him (but not confirm him) but nothing indicates he joined the GOPers.

[kentuck]

45. Chris Wray is a Republican...

Rudy Guiliani had an entire cadre of FBI agents helping him, even after he was US Atty and Mayor of NY.

James Comey was a Republican.

William Mueller was a Republican.

The list is long.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

50. Here's the thing,

I've done a google search and there is nothing indicating that he was a repuke,
what is your source for this claim and do you have a link?

[Tommymac]

80. Well, It has been stated many times here on DU...getting my info here.

Reading up on Google, Garland is a Democrat but a very centrist/moderate one who Orin Hatch endorsed.

I'll modify my post, but stand by the evaluation of Garland as very moderate and very acceptable to the old school Republican Conservatives. Of coarse, those old school republicans no longer wield any sort of political power - a lot have become Democrats or Independents since 2020.

From (ugh) Politico:

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/merrick-garland-who-is-he-220865
Merrick Garland known as moderate and politically connected judge

Seven Republicans still in the Senate voted to confirm Garland two decades ago and GOP Senators have been relatively complimentary of Garland — at least until recently.

In an interview just last week, longtime Senate Judiciary Committee member Orrin Hatch of Utah called Garland “a fine man,” but predicted he was too moderate to get the nod from Obama. “He probably won’t do that because this appointment is about the election. So, I’m pretty sure he’ll name someone the [liberal Democratic base] wants,” Hatch told Newsmax Friday.

Liberal groups uniformly called on the Senate to give Garland a hearing, but some were less than thrilled by Obama’s choice.

“It’s deeply disappointing that President Obama failed to use this opportunity to add the voice of another progressive woman of color to the Supreme Court, and instead put forward a nominee seemingly designed to appease intransigent Republicans rather than inspire the grassroots he’ll need to get that nominee through the Senate gauntlet,” said Charles Chamberlain of Democracy for America. “We believe that Senate Republicans need to do their job and give Judge Garland the fair hearing any Supreme Court nominee deserves, but this selection will make it harder to excite grassroots progressive about the slog ahead.”

Thanks for the comments. Correction in progress.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

81. Thanks for the update, it's greatly appreciated.

[BumRushDaShow]

87. "Garland is a Democrat but a very centrist/moserate one who Orin Hatch endorsed."

Yes and as a note - before Hatch drank the looney tunes koolaid after he saw his colleague Bob Bennett, also (R-UT) get primaried by teabagger extraordinaire Mike Lee, Hatch actually offered to support D.C. statehood - but the NRA made sure someone added that this would only happen IF D.C. gave up its strict gun regulations. The bill was then pulled. But a decade later you had this from Del. Norton - https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-grateful-to-senator-hatch-for-invaluable-help-on-dc-voting-rights

Norton Grateful to Senator Hatch for Invaluable Help on D.C. Voting Rights and on Judges for D.C. District Court

Jan 3, 2018 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today thanked Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for his “friendship and for his long, honorable and productive service to the nation” in the United States Senate after he announced he would retire at the end of the year. Hatch coauthored the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act, which would have provided a House vote for the citizens of the District and an additional House vote for the citizens of Utah, which had narrowly missed getting a new House seat after the 2000 census. In 2008, Hatch published an essay, entitled “‘No Right is More Precious in a Free Country’: Allowing Americans in the District of Columbia to Participate in National Self-Government,” in the Harvard Journal on Legislation, arguing the bill was constitutional and that Congress should pass it. In his essay, Hatch wrote, “I believe that the present legislation is the proper way to remedy an injustice that has lasted for too long….Americans in the District should be allowed to participate in selecting a representative, which the Supreme Court has called ‘the essence of a democratic society’ and ‘the heart of representative government.’” In addition, when Hatch was chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1995-2001, he worked closely with Norton to help her get President Clinton’s nominees to the D.C. District Court through the Senate.

The D.C. House Voting Rights Act was passed by the Senate in 2009, but a National Rifle Association-backed amendment to wipe out D.C.’s gun laws was added and caused Norton and D.C. officials to withdraw the bill before a House vote, where passage was expected. Norton noted that when the bill passed the Senate, six Republicans voted for it, and, in 2007, when the bill previously passed the House, 22 Republicans voted for it, including Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Paul Ryan.

“I want to thank Senator Hatch personally and for the residents of the District of Columbia for his fairness to us and especially for his leadership and dedication on the legislation that nearly brought voting rights to the residents of the District of Columbia,” Norton said. “Senator Hatch and I became friends as we worked on the D.C. voting rights bill and on judges for the D.C. District Court. He was a remarkable partner who put aside politics to embrace principle, whether on D.C. voting rights or on federal judges for the federal district court here. Senator Hatch was a leader in the effort to show that D.C. voting rights is not a partisan issue, and his efforts were critical to the bipartisan support the bill received. He leaves a place in the Senate to be filled by Republicans and Democrats, proud of their affiliation with their parties, but prouder still to think through what is best for their country and then to have the courage to act on it.”

###

The bolded part is how Garland later got his D.C. Circuit Court nomination through HATCH's Judiciary Committee NOT a Democrat's (Biden was Chair before him), since he was Chair after the 1994 wipe out when Democrats lost the Senate.

In general, he fell off the cliff into the GQP swamp and whatever "statesman" moniker he had, was dissolved right before he left the Senate, but compared to someone like ASSley and Turtle, Hatch was more moderate at one time.

[wnylib]

91. Garland was a speechwriter for

Democratic Congressman Amber Mikva while Garland was still a college student.

He clerked under liberal Justice William Brennan.

He was appointed by Carter to be special assistant to AG Civiletti.

He was Deputy Assistant AG in the Clinton administration.

He definitely was not Republican. More like somewhere between moderate centrist and liberal, depending on the issue.

[wnylib]

60. Please provide verification that

AG Garland was once a Republican.

A simple check on Wikipedia of Garland's career indicates that as early as his college summer years, he clerked for liberal judges and was a speechwriter for Democratic Congressman Abner Mikva.

Garland served as law clerk for Justice William Brennan.

In the Carter administration, Garland was special assistant to Carter's AG, Civiletti.

He has also been Assistant US Attorney in DC.

With his clerkships for liberal judges, speechwriting for a Dem Congressman, and appointments in Dem admistrations, Garland does not look like a former Republican to me. There isn't even enough time in between his work for liberal justices and administrations to have been briefly Republican and then switch back.

[BumRushDaShow]

61. Why does DU keep repeating this?

Garland has worked for and was appointed by 4 Democratic Presidents (Carter, Clinton, Obama, Biden) for various DOJ/Court positions, and clerked under Democratic SCOTUS Associate Justice William Brennan.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

78. I asked for a link proving the claim

and was accused of picking a fight.

[blm]

15. ✔️

[yaesu]

18. I've heard this & tend to agree that tRump would use his wealth position to fight any charges

that comes his way tying it up in court for years, probably longer than his overweight aging disgusting body can survive, so I personally think he will never spend a day in jail no matter what comes his way. It may keep him out of political office & or out of politics so that alone will be worth the charges if any comes his way.

[uponit7771]

22. +1,

[Rebl2]

33. Exactly

Show them the door

[inthewind21]

53. Garland's resposon

to ANYONE "leaning" in any political direction regarding cases should be, there's the door.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

54. +100. nt

[sop]

12. Is Merrick Garland the U.S. Attorney General, or not? Is he in charge at the DOJ, or isn't he?

If he doesn't have the final say on something as serious as the prosecution of a former president, for the worst act of sedition in American history, then who does? I'm tired of all this mealy-mouthed bullshit. WTF is going on in this country?

[bamagal62]

14. This. I'm tired as well. What can we do as citizens

To make sure our system holds? It’s so frustrating. Due to gerrymandering, voting might not be enough. And, our votes don’t get rid of those bad apples that have infiltrated a lot of government agencies. We are so screwed.

[uponit7771]

20. +1,

[station agent]

16. Hey, pal! You can hear about it when his book eventually comes out, not when it's important! n/t

[ancianita]

17. Yep. It's that old right wing Republican inertia. Republicans, at heart, do struggle with

Rule of Law. They hatehatehate arresting one of their own even when the evidence has 'em dead to rights.
They won't indict until they know Trump's possible defenses that will give them an out, then they will indict. IMO

[uponit7771]

19. ************** THIS IS FUCKED UP !!!! ************

If Trump were a black democrat the DOJ would've burned his house down and made him watch by now.

Fuck this ... I'm done ... even if Woodward was half right this is still 100% bullshit horrible that the DOJ is having a discussion about fuckin Benedict Donald's world up.

Just ... damn

[onenote]

26. Do you a shred of evidence to back up your claim that prosecutors are 99 percent republican?

[Blue_Adept]

31. It's just more of that 'Everyone knows it to be true' garbage

The common wisdom that either isn't actually true at all or is just so much more complicated that you can't make a blanket statement about it. But still do because it's belief over complexity of issue.

[onenote]

36. Yep. Actually, 99 percent of the top federal prosecutors are Biden appointees

In fact, it probably is 100 percent. There are 90+ US Attorneys, each appointed by the President. They are the chief prosecutors in the federal system. They supervise some 300+ assistant us attorneys, dictating who handles which cases and making final decisions on strategy. While some of those assistant us attorneys were hired during Republican administrations, for 10 of the past 14 years hiring has been handled by a Democrat.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

34. Well, he did read it here on DU,

does that count?

[Rebl2]

41. The head prosecuting

attorney in my county is a democrat. Before her it was Claire McCaskill. Don’t know about surrounding counties though.

[Chin music]

47. Which is why I didn't say ALL.

Most are however.
Claire rocks.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

51. Do you have a link for this claim? nt

[Chin music]

64. Do you have one to the contrary?

Why is it you start contrarian fights w me on this board every day? It's a daily attack for some reason. Why is it?
When you ask me for a link...ask yourself..."Have I googled it yet?" bc that's one of the admonishments of the tos. Did you even read them? Maybe review them?
I speak from experience. I don't need a link.
I don't pull shit out of my ass.
+1z

[MarineCombatEngineer]

68. Starting a fight?

I asked you, without any rancor, insult, etc, for a link, that's it, so can you provide a link to your claim?

I did a google search and there's nothing indicating that he was a repuke, or is still currently a repuke, so perhaps I missed it and you can provide a link proving it.

If you don't like being asked to provide a link, then don't post dubious claims without a link, see how easy that is.

[Ohio Joe]

82. Why yes... I do have a link...

The Biden administration will begin removing all Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys appointed during the Trump administration, with two exceptions, a senior Justice Department official said.

The process, which is not uncommon, could start as early as Tuesday. They will be asked to resign.

John Durham will remain in place to investigate the origins of the Russia probe, but not as U.S. attorney for the district of Connecticut, the official said. He was appointed as a special counsel and given extra protections for the inquiry by Attorney General William Barr last fall.

David Weiss, U.S. attorney for Delaware, will also remain in place. Hunter Biden, the president's son, said in December that federal officials in Delaware were investigating his taxes.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/biden-s-justice-department-ask-nearly-all-trump-era-u-n1257100

So... Is President Biden 'in on it'?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

83. I asked for a link proving the claim and all I got accused of starting a fight.

[Rebl2]

52. She was a

good prosecutor as is Peters-Baker, our current prosecutor.

[Chin music]

65. D cities etc.are more likely to have D prosecutors, but,

that's not a solemn rule either.

[BlackSkimmer]

49. Lol, where'd you pull that stat from? nt

[onenote]

25. "Many have suspected for many years that employees in DOJ lean Republican." LINK. CITE. Bullshit

I have practiced law in and out of government in DC for over 40 years. I have worked with and known dozens and dozens of DOJ attorneys. I don't recall a single one of them "leaning Republican." That's not to say there aren't Republican-leaning employees in DOJ, but the idea that all or even most lean Republican is almost certainly total BS.

And the folks calling the shots at DOJ today absolutely do not "lean Republican."

[hadEnuf]

38. Then WHAT IS the delay in addressing these obvious crimes and criminals then?

Do we honestly think that the Republicans would be vexing and kicking the can down the road if it were a Democratic POTUS being investigated over sedition and treason?

[onenote]

55. The "delay" is the strategic decision to work the case "bottom up."

Which is how a case like this almost has to be handled.

DOJ has been incredibly busy prosecuting cases arising out of January 6, along with lots of other work, such as litigation relating to efforts to prevent women from getting abortions, the action against Chauvin that recently resulted in a prison sentence and the list goes on and on.

If you truly want to know the answer to your question, here you go:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=16921149

[treestar]

67. We expect Republicans to misuse their powers

We do not do that.

[treestar]

71. How is it so obvious?

When you are not the one who has to handle it, it looks easy.

There is a very good chance that TFG could be acquitted. In fact, it might be strategic NOT to ask for a jury trial, since one juror can hang the jury. If TFG is not convicted, that is a huge downside that has to be considered.

[hadEnuf]

86. Perhaps it only seems slow because we appear to have all of our eggs in one basket,

relying on the DOJ to make their move and / or the 1/6 Committee's reports.

At the very minimum Trump should be prohibited from occupying the Oval Office again due to his actions. That would at least draw the battle lines for when he pulls his next coup stunt.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

46. I am just wowed at how many here have such intimate insight on what

is going on in the DoJ, also, there are many here who are certain that AG Garland will do nothing, especially if the Mango Menace announces his candidacy.

I am truly in awe.

[Elessar Zappa]

70. It's the same people who are sure

that all the military are rightwing fanatics who will turn against this country. It’s all BS.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

72. +100. nt

[Silent3]

73. My frustration isn't based on thinking I know what's happening inside the DoJ

My frustration is based on the fact we can tell from the outside certain aspects of the speed of what's going on inside, and it's far too slow (already has been far too slow, no matter what comes in the future) for the urgency of the situation.

Our democracy is under a clear and present threat. It is perfectly reasonably to expect more action and less ponderous caution in such a situation.

A pilot is expected to perform a number of safety checks before taking off. If, however, the pilot is helping refugees to escape from a warn-torn country, and there are armed gunman pursuing the plane, the pilot should skip the safety checks and get the hell out of there.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

77. No, your frustations are based on the fact that the DoJ and AG Garland

aren't giving press conferences, of which they aren't required to do and would be foolish to do.

You, I, and eveyone here at DU have no idea what the scope of the investigation is, whether Trump and his minions are being investigated or not, as it should be, never show your cards until you're sure you have a winning hand.

There has never been an investigation such as this in the history of the US, it's wide ranging and I'm quite sure AG Garland and the DoJ want to make sure they get all their I's dotted and their T's crossed before they bring it before a Grand Jury.

Good things come to those that wait.

[Silent3]

89. Don't pretend to be an authority on my frustations

I didn't say a damned thing about press conferences. There are other ways of gauging DoJ activity, ways that are beyond the DoJ's penchant for secrecy to control. Plenty of people well in-the-know are seeing a frustrating lack of activity.

Good things sometimes come to those that wait. Other times, disaster comes to those who wait too long and do not act with the speed that an emergency demands.

[Corgigal]

28. I always believed

that justice was based on facts. If you think, I allow my political preference to crime because it’s my team, just leave the DOJ.

I guess if I get pulled over for speeding one day, I will also pass them my voters registration card. Just in case.

[doc03]

30. If the j6 Committee can get all this evidence

on Trump's crimes where in the hell is DOJ. That's their job they should have more evidence than anyone. What if that asshole declares he is running for President, how does Biden's DOJ indict his opponent? He says he is officially running game over.

[sop]

40. That's precisely why the asshole will declare another run for the presidency.

The corporate media is already reporting he's made the decision to run, he just hasn't set the announcement date. They're all salivating at the prospect of the Trump circus returning to town. And as soon as he declares, all his seditious conspiracy crimes will be shoved down the memory hole.

[Snackshack]

35. Sad...

That one man has been able to bully our justice system into impotence.

DT is responsible for the death of over 1 million Americans and an attempted overthrow of the United States of America. Just those two (dare I say) crimes should have been enough for the DOJ to act long ago however it seems DOJ / Garland are more concerned with saving institutions instead of what they stand for.

[jaxexpat]

39. It's all part of the life cycle of a dying democracy.

The 0.001% won't fix it and everybody else is powerless to fix it. Working within the framework which has evolved over time, every "legal" avenue for redress is blocked.

A milquetoast Republican attorney general with a "pedigree" is purposely worse than useless.

[Baggies]

42. Several things to consider

They have to make sure they can win. To indict and not convict would reinforce the narrative of it being a witch hunt.

And before that, there’s the question of whether to even move forward. The country is already divided. This would throw fuel on the fire that could spell the end of the USA. It would most definitely make things worse beyond a point of no return. You might put away the culprits, but not the supporters of which there are multi-millions upon millions. And all this over Trump? Is he really worth it? Many would say no.

[CosimoR]

69. Is the rule of law worth it?

The multi-millions that will be enraged by Trump's prosecution are already enraged by democratic elections. Maybe we shouldn't "move forward" with those? Too inflammatory?

[Baggies]

88. I don't understand what you're saying.

I’ll answer based upon what I think you meant.

They’re not going to just disappear. Forcing them will only create resentment.

[Sympthsical]

44. Jamie microwaving fish in the break room is corrosive for the work environment

Holding someone accountable for trying to overthrow a constitutional democratic system is not.

[AZLD4Candidate]

57. Law enforcement has always been right wing. Look what Hoover turned the FBI into.

of course there are trumpers there. Justice goes after liberals much harder than conservatives.

[UnderThisLaw]

58. A lot of nervous responders to your post

[Sky Jewels]

85. Why wouldn't we be nervous?

Democracy is literally at stake.

[Tetrachloride]

62. I presume efforts are being made to find out who the DOJ repukes are

Merrick Garland might have legal limitations as a boss. But we don’t have certain legal labor limits.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

75. Damn Garland needs to clean some serious house!

F--Rosenstein was in charge of the Mueller investigation and a very big jock strap level supporter of his buddy Brett Kavanaugh

If you just remove federalist society members, I bet that place becomes way more level headed

[XanaDUer2]

76. Doj will not prosecute

Hope I'm 100% wrong on this.

[barbtries]

79. it shouldn't be a battle at all.

you break the law, you pay the consequences. it would be a total disservice to the country to fail to do that and an invitation to more outrageous lawbreaking in the future. since nixon this has been playing out. if trump is not prosecuted we don't have a country.

[Sky Jewels]

84. This is infuriating.

A president blatantly tries to overthrow the government and install himself as dictator and THERE'S A QUESTION WHETHER THEY SHOULD INDICT?!?!

WHAT.THE.ACTUAL.FUCK?!

[sarcasmo]

92. We passed infuriating six months ago.

[Sky Jewels]

93. True.

I was holding out hope they were letting the committee lay the groundwork (do the heavy lifting in terms of the public's knowledge) and then they'd pounce.